Accel Entertainment (NYSE:ACEL) Shares Gap Up on Earnings Beat

Accel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:ACEL) shares gapped up prior to trading on Wednesday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $11.07, but opened at $13.00. Accel Entertainment shares last traded at $12.95, with a volume of 168,126 shares trading hands.

The company reported $0.19 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $341.45 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $335.66 million. Accel Entertainment had a net margin of 3.34% and a return on equity of 27.51%.

Trending Headlines about Accel Entertainment

Here are the key news stories impacting Accel Entertainment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Reported a record Q4: revenue of $341.4M (+7.5% YoY) and EPS $0.19, beating consensus on both top and bottom lines — results cited as the primary catalyst supporting the rally. Accel Entertainment Reports Record Fourth Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management flagged expansion into the Chicago VGT market and said actions to expand margins are underway — commentary suggests upside to future profitability if execution continues. Accel Entertainment outlines Chicago VGT market entry and projects margin expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Truist raised its price target from $13 to $14 (hold) — an analyst upgrade that reinforces investor confidence and provides additional technical support for the move higher. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 earnings call transcript and slide deck are available for deeper color on guidance, location growth (ended Q4 with ~4,501 locations) and operating details — useful for investors who want to vet management’s path to margin expansion. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage notes and summaries (Zacks, MarketBeat, Yahoo Finance) confirm the beat and provide consensus context; they do not add new surprises but help validate the beat-driven reaction. Zacks: Q4 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Balance sheet/leverage remains a watch item (debt-to-equity ~2.12); investors should monitor cash flow and capex needs as the company scales locations and enters new state markets.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on ACEL. Macquarie Infrastructure reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $16.00 target price on shares of Accel Entertainment in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Accel Entertainment in a research report on Friday, December 5th. They set an “outperform” rating on the stock. Citizens Jmp upped their price objective on shares of Accel Entertainment from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Accel Entertainment in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price target on Accel Entertainment from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $14.75.

Insider Buying and Selling at Accel Entertainment

In related news, Director David W. Ruttenberg sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.19, for a total value of $279,750.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 223,135 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,496,880.65. This trade represents a 10.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Derek Harmer sold 10,000 shares of Accel Entertainment stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.11, for a total value of $111,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 204,917 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,276,627.87. The trade was a 4.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 115,000 shares of company stock worth $1,289,100. Insiders own 18.33% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Accel Entertainment

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Hill Path Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of Accel Entertainment in the second quarter valued at approximately $32,828,000. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Accel Entertainment by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,266,697 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,912,000 after acquiring an additional 26,419 shares during the period. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Accel Entertainment during the 2nd quarter worth $426,000. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Accel Entertainment during the 2nd quarter valued at about $302,000. Finally, Midwest Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Accel Entertainment in the second quarter valued at about $2,057,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 55.39% of the company’s stock.

Accel Entertainment Stock Up 18.9%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12, a current ratio of 2.57 and a quick ratio of 2.50. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $11.30 and its 200 day simple moving average is $10.93. The company has a market capitalization of $1.10 billion, a PE ratio of 26.32 and a beta of 1.05.

About Accel Entertainment

Accel Entertainment, Inc is a Chicago-based gaming and entertainment company specializing in the provision of regulated electronic gaming terminals and related management services to licensed establishments across the United States. The company’s core offerings include video gaming terminals (VGTs), digital payment solutions, player loyalty programs and compliance support, all designed to enhance customer engagement and operational efficiency for bars, restaurants, truck stops and convenience stores.

Founded in 2005, Accel Entertainment has built a network that spans multiple states, including Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Iowa.